If the 2013 Panamera GTS fitted with launch control were a person, it could easily be Usain Bolt. Earning the title of World’s Fastest Man, you’ll recall Bolt successfully defending his 100m and 200m sprint records during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London last year; this while I defended my driver’s licence behind the wheel of the GTS.

The Panamera GTS may not be the fastest car in the world, but it’s certainly convincing off the line.

Activate Porsche’s Launch Control and 4.5 seconds later 100 km/h appears on the speedo; impressive for a large four-door saloon, and quite a head-rush for the cranium quartet within. Of course, this is the sort of technology that requires a controlled environment to exploit, and fortunately I had such at the track.

Filling the 4S and Turbo gap

The 430 horsepower GTS fills the gap between the 400-horsepower Panamera 4S and the much more powerful, and expensive, Panamera Turbo and Turbo S models at 500 and 550 horsepower respectively.

Funny, until the GTS came along I didn’t realize that gap needed filling, but unnecessary gaps can mean lost sales.

Plugging a hole also enables the introduction of refreshed material without going the distance to introduce new product.

The GTS is more than a marketing tool though, and that becomes evident behind the wheel.

Breathing naturally

Without the use of turbocharging, Porsche engineers have mined 430 horsepower out of the Panamera’s 4.8-litre V8 engine, along with 384 lb.-ft of torque.

Appended to the forward-mounted power plant is Porsche’s race-inspired seven-speed Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission. Thanks to all-wheel drive, propulsion rips at all four corners as Porsche’s Launch Control fuses the link between engine and rubber.

When that happens, the results are immediate and immense. The big Bavarian literally explodes with forward thrust as it bursts through first and second gear, inducing firm head-snaps and near mind-bending inertia. For the uninitiated, a launch control departure is quite a ride, and worth a little more explanation.

T-minus 3-2-1, we have launch

Consult the GTS’s thick owner’s manual under the heading of Launch Control and you’ll find clear and concise instruction to activate the Panamera’s Sport-plus mode, place your left foot firmly on the brake pedal while fully depressing the throttle with your right foot and release the brake when safe.

These aren’t the sort of instructions normally found in a typical owner’s manual.

Then again, the typical car doesn’t encourage its operator to rev the engine to 5,000 or so rpm and jam it into gear but that’s effectively what launch control does, and the results are staggering.

Of course there’s a gentler, more refined side to the Panamera GTS to appreciate, and with an MSRP of $126,700, there should be.

Luxury and comfort included

Deactivate the Sport and Sport-plus settings, which firm up the underpinning and intensify performance, and the Panamera GTS will dilute its testosterone-flow, reinventing itself as a remarkably mature four-seater exhibiting exceptional civility.

Of course, deactivating the Sport exhaust function is also necessary if discretion is to be the better part of valour, otherwise this car has one loud bark punctuated by raspy pops and staccato-like growls.

No mixed verdict in the cabin

While the Panamera’s somewhat pugnacious body design may not sway 12 good neighbours and true, its audacious aircraft-inspired cockpit is an exceptionally exciting — if not needlessly complex — environment from which to administer the car’s dual personality.

A nod must go to Porsche for its ability to smartly cluster a series of analog gauges. The Panamera exemplifies this with its arced series of circular instruments perfectly position to be observed unimpeded through the upper portion of the steering wheel.

GTS a bargain? Relative perhaps

While the GTS is the eighth iteration within the current Panamera lineup, in many ways it may best represent Porsche ideals by delivering Launch Control and outstanding all-wheel drive V8 performance accompanied by rousing auditory effects contrasted by rational civility when one chooses. Does that make it the performance bargain within the Panamera cadre?

Well, perhaps. The GTS entry price of $126,700 places it well below the $158,500 tag of the Panamera Turbo and even further below the Turbo S entry point of $200,300. However you slice it, these are astronomical numbers to us mere mortals, but it’s always wise to plan ahead. You never know when your ship full of cash will sail into port.